LeBron James' Lawyers Send Cease-and-Desist to AI Company Making Pregnant Videos of Him

The creators of an AI tool and Discord community called Interlink AI, which enabled users to generate videos of NBA stars using artificial intelligence, received a cease-and-desist letter from lawyers representing LeBron James. This incident marks one of the earliest known cases where a high-profile celebrity has threatened legal action against an AI company for facilitating nonconsensual deepfakes of their likeness. Notably, it also represents a rare legal challenge against non-sexual but unauthorized AI-generated content, which proliferates on platforms like Instagram.

Earlier reporting highlighted "Brainrot" AI videos that frequently went viral on Instagram, many featuring LeBron James and created via Interlink AI (built on the FlickUp platform). The tool's Discord community provided detailed guides for producing such content, including explicit instructions for generating James-themed videos. Prominent creators amassed millions of views by posting AI-generated clips depicting James in scenarios like witnessing an AI-generated Diddy assaulting Steph Curry in prison, appearing as a homeless person, kneeling with his tongue out, and even pregnant.

In late June, Interlink AI's Discord moderators announced the removal of all "realistic people models" from their platform. They cited legal complications involving "a highly valued basketball player" (implicitly James) as the reason, stating this proactive measure aimed to avoid further issues and protect the platform's future. While acknowledging user disappointment, they emphasized this step would allow focus on developing "something even bigger."